Escape From Limbo
by Benji The Vampire Confuser
Summary: Souls not properly dead, cannot go to heaven or hell. Drucilla leads several such victims of unnatural death to freedom. Features a cameo by Joe, star of several of my other fics.


**Escape From Limbo  
by Benji The Vampire Confuser**  
_You know the drill. Joss Owns Em._

Impada was shoved roughly into the dark cell by William the Bloody. "Hope you two get along." he grinned. "Scream if you need anything. 'Course, I'll most likely ignore you. But scream anyway." He walked off laughing.

Impada just sat on the floor, crying silently. She supposed she deserved to be where she was. After all, she'd killed just to stay alive. She'd even almost killed the boy she loved.

A soft movement from the shadows startled her, but then a pretty, young woman came out of the dark, smiling kindly.

"Don't worry dear." she said comfortingly. "We'll have cakes and tea. That will make you feel better. And besides," she motioned Impada closer, as if to tell her a secret, "we'll be leaving soon." she told the former Mummy. She'd whispered it in her ear. "What's your name?"

"I'm Impada." she introduced herself. "What did you mean-"

"Shhhh!" the girl said frantically. "The walls are terrible gossips. They might spoil the surprise."

"Who are you?" Impada asked.

"Once upon a time I was Drusilla." she said sadly. "But a mean girl took over that role from me a long time ago. Now I'm just me."

As time passed, Impada became accustomed to her surroundings, and acquainted with the fellow...inmates. A young boy named Colin, and a boy about her age called Jesse. Both, along with Drusilla, and one of their captors, William, had been victims of Vampires.

Their souls had been imprisoned here in Limbo when the Demons had taken over their bodies.

There was also a girl named Celia. She had been killed by a Demon that drained the life force from children. When she'd been "digested", she'd wound up here.

Later came Daryl, who in life had been a football player. But when his soul had been ripped from the Other Side when his body was restored to life, it had been unable to return after his second death.

Soon, William was joined by an exiled Demon named Eygon. He'd been exorcised.

Not all lost souls or exorcised Demons came here. This was only one of many domains of Limbo.

Every day, they were released from their cells once, to witness the sport. The sport was the public torture of the soul Angelus. He'd been imprisoned here once before, but had been ripped out and returned to his body. But recently he'd been returned.

Finally, another soul arrived. She too had been taken by a Vampire.

* * *

Theresa stared in shock at the man being tormented before her. She recognized him even without the added demonic features. Here was the soul of the man who'd condemned her!

_This is just weird!_ she thought.

That night, back in their cell, Drusilla gathered Impada and Theresa together.

"Tomorrow is the time." she whispered. "The stones speak. Tomorrow the bad man will get his soul back, and we have to be ready."

* * *

"All right people!" William called. "It's that time again!"

"Time to learn today's moral?" Eygon joked.

"Sort of." William conceded. "It's time to torture the little pansy Irishman."

Theresa and Impada stood tensely, looking for anything unusual.

The others were doing the same. Somehow, Angel's soul was about to be returned to his body. And they intended to get the hell out of here when that happened.

"What shall we start with today?" William asked himself, studying the table of torture tools. Then, a familiar whooshing sound reached his ears.

"Oh bloody hell." he growled, turning to see Angel surrounded by a bright white light. "Not again."

"Now!" Drusilla cried. "Grab him!"

Theresa paused only to scoop Colin up in her arms before joining the rush. She placed her hand on Angel, as did all the others, and they found themselves engulfed in the light.

* * *

When her vision cleared, she found herself alone, on a dark street. A white globe of light hovered next to her.

"Welcome." the light said.

"Where am I?" she asked. "Where are the others?"

"Well, Angel is back in his body, unfortunately he's also been sent to hell. But that's not your concern. Drusilla and Colin have gone on to where they should have gone in the first place, as anyone they've had to care about is gone. Celia, Jesse, Impada and Daryl have gravitated to those who they most cared about. And here you are, having done the same."

A car pulled into the driveway of the house she stood before. Suddenly she realized it was Joe's house. Joe himself got out of the car and headed for the house.

Somehow, Theresa knew that he'd left his keys in the car. If he let the door close, they'd be locked in there.

"Joe," she called, "Your keys!"

Joe stopped short. "Oh shit!" he realized. "My keys!" He turned and dove for the car. With an instinctive wave of her hand, Theresa slowed the car door's motion enough for Joe to catch it.

"Whew!" Joe sighed. "That almost sucked."

"Congratulations," the light said, "You're now a Guardian Angel."

The End

AN: I wrote this story shortly after season 2 ended, before Angel's mortal name, and Spike's mortal personality had been revealed. Mostly I try to keep my stories as if they could have been canon, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. Originally this story had been part of a huge crossover arc that I call The Omniverse Project, but due to being Jossed, and my own changing ideas regarding the destination of souls, it's now a standalone.


End file.
